Haunted Newsreel

Being one of those immature people who still read Mad Magazine, this interview was a pleasure for me. However, from a horror buff point of view, this man is important to our genre because he helped create perhaps the most successful horror comic book in history, Tales From the Crypt. I caught up with him via Internet, and he gave the readers of classic horror a very “MAD” chat about all things from the Crypt. (read more...)

In the fickle world of comic books, there is one true survivor: Gene Colan. Well known for his work on the TOMB OF DRACULA comic, Gene has done everything from Captain America to Daredevil to Howard the Duck. I got the pleasure to interview this outstanding man, and he gave the readers of Classic-Horror a wonderfully unique interview. (read more...)

Disney animator, actor, screenwriter, and just a plain old geeked-out monster kid, Frank Dietz is most known in the horror community for his business SKETCHY THINGS (www.sketchythings.com). Sketchy Things is a classic-horror caricature business which sells Frank's monster sketch books, posters of Frank's works, and an opportunity to have yourself drawn with your favorite movie monster! Not to mention, Frank does a moderately decent Christopher Lee impression. I got the opportunity to talk to this perfectly charming guy and it was probably the most easy going 30 minutes I ever spent interviewing.

Whether you were trick-or-treating, partying in a Playboy Bunny costume, or toilet-papering your boss’s house, I’m sure I got your Halloween beat. On October 31, 2002, I got the opportunity to have a lengthy chat with the last of the Universal Monsters.(read more...)

Who put the gore in Dracula's fangs? Who can turn a beautiful young woman into a crotchety old lady? Who is known for burn scars, shark bites, and other hideous decapitations? This man is none other than Matthew Mungle. An Academy Award winner for his brilliant work on Bram Stoker's Dracula, and an Emmy Award winner for his work on "The X-Files," Matthew is easily one of the top notch makeup artists in Hollywood. I got to chat with this talented man who gave the readers of Classic-Horror a wonderful glimpse behind the scenes of movie magic.

Chris Costello, the youngest daughter of Lou Costello of the comedy team Abbott and Costello, is most well known for her biography of her father "Lou’s on First." This wonderfully touching biography of her talented father has been in print for over 20 years. I got the pleasure to interview this absolutely marvelous woman who gave the readers of Classic-Horror a very lovely tribute to her father and the history of the Abbott and Costello monster movies.(read more...)

The man you're about to read about is utterly insane... or so he seems. The President of Troma Films and the creator of the Toxic Avenger (as he is often introduced) is very much as he appears in the numerous vignettes of Troma's Edge TV (found on finer Troma DVDs everywhere) - and yet has a deeper core of wild insight into classic film, Corporate America, and New York's Finest.

I had the honor and privilege of conversing with Lloyd early in August of 2002, right in the middle of his hectic schedule. I should have known I was in for a treat when Lloyd broke traditional interviewing technique and asked me the first question...

In my article on late nite horror shows and their hosts, I used a local creature feature, Chiller Theatre from Channel 13, in my illustration because it is most typical of the shows we all remember. It was, however, another show and its host that is truly responsible for my love of horror and my fondess for late-nite TV scare fests. The show was Nite Owl Theatre and the man behind it is the one and only Fritz the Nite Owl.(read more...)

Early in September I was contacted by the two authors of a book entitled "Vampire Over London," a work that attempted to bring to light the 8 months that Bela Lugosi spent in England between 1951 and 1952. They wanted me to help publicize the book as they were publishing it independently. I agreed to interview the one in the United States, Frank Dello Stritto. What came from that was some fascinating insight into the secret life of Bela Lugosi.

CH: Tell us a little about your new book, "Vampire Over London."(read more...)